As a reward for their North Coast Section championship, the Marin Catholic High football team earned a date in the Northern Regional championship game with Sutter, a team that ranks in the top 20 in California in scoring offense.

Fortunately for Marin Catholic, confidence in its defense's ability is not lacking. And for that, some of the credit belongs to senior middle linebacker Alex Poksay.

"There's a lot of good players in our league," Marin Catholic coach Mazi Moayed said Monday as the team prepared for its game Saturday against Sutter in Oroville. "But obviously to us we see him as one of the best in the league. We're led by his play and he's one of those guys who just makes everybody around him better. When he's not in there, you see a big difference versus when he's not in there with the level the team plays at."

Poksay got his feet wet with the Wildcats as a sophomore, when he shared time as a starter with Pat Simmons as an outside linebacker. As a junior, he earned a full-time starting spot, then this year made an even bigger splash as a defensive leader.

"Sophomore year I was fortunate to be called up to the varsity team," Poksay said. "I split time with a senior and got some playing time and I've worked my way up since. My first game was against St. Ignatius and I was shaking I was so nervous. "... Coming into Marin Catholic, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew about the great legacy of the program, how good they had been in the past years and I just wanted to contribute. And I am where I am now, a great place."

Poksay has been a defensive leader this season, his coaches and teammates say, both by his word and his deed. He can fire up his team with his words, but he is just as likely to do so with his hard work or a great play. He also has a high football IQ which serves him well, his teammates and coaches say.

"He's very smart on the field and off the field," linebackers coach Gennaro Caputo said. "In the film room, he's very smart. And he's very intense both on the field and off the field. And if something is not going right on the field, he gets the defense together and he gets them motivated."

"Poksay is the quarterback of the defense and he knows every position," added Anthony Giusti, who plays outside linebacker alongside Poksay. "He's tremendous as far as alignment goes. And also he's an example: If you want to know who to play like, you look for Poksay. He's the guy. Poksay's definitely trustworthy. He's the brains behind the operation. So you can definitely trust Poksay when it comes to calls and decisions and stuff."

Poksay, at 6-foot-1, 207 pounds has shown both the power and speed to handle his position. He is a sure tackler who also has shown an ability to cover receivers. Those abilities have at least piqued the interest of some colleges, including Sacramento State and the University of San Diego. But he said he also feels his awareness on the field has helped him.

"I would say that one of my strengths is a knowledge of the game," Poksay said. "There are small things, like seeing some keys and reacting. "... There's a lot to account for when you're playing middle linebacker."

Defensive coordinator Peter Almlie said it has been a pleasure watching Poksay's development.

"He understands the game," Almlie said. "He's been on the team since he was a sophomore so he's really got a handle on all the linebacker spots and he's got a complete understanding of the defense and where everyone is supposed to be. He's just a great leader for us.

"And then he's just the anchor in there — he makes plays all day. And he makes big plays in big games. He makes a lot of tackles in key situations."

"He had a lot of strengths," Moayed said. "He does multiple things at an extremely high level. And he has a great natural instinct — most coaches would say he's a great sniffer — and if something shows up that we haven't prepared for or someone tries to throw a wrinkle in there, he sniffs it out. He does a great job with that.

"And then he's a physical presence. When he hits guys, as you want your middle backer to do, everybody sort of feels it. And I don't think many teams want a linebacker like Poksay to get constant free shots at their ball carrier."

Poksay hopes he gets a clear shot at a running back or two on Saturday. But whatever the outcome, he considers his time with the Marin Catholic football team to be time well spent.

"It's my senior year and I'm very excited that we got to accomplish one of our goals this year," Poksay said of winning a section title. "It's a dream come true and I couldn't ask for anything more than what we have right now. We have a great team, such great chemistry and such great coaches. We're just so blessed to have everything we have right now."

Northern Regional Division III Championship Marin Catholic (13-1) vs. Sutter (13-0) at Harrison Stadium in Oroville, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Priced at $12 for adults and $8 for seniors, high school students and children, they will be on sale Wednesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marin Catholic book store and will be available Saturday at Harrison Stadium beginning at 5:30 p.m. Radio/TV: PlayOn Sports will audio stream the game online at marinij.com